Terminal Management System for Mixed-Connectivity Printer Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies lack effective management solutions for printers with varying Internet connectivity functions, particularly in environments where both Internet-connected and non-Internet-connected printers coexist, leading to inefficient communication and management challenges.
Innovation Solution
A terminal management system and processing program that differentiates between relay apparatuses and terminal apparatuses with varying processing capabilities, dividing instructions for less capable devices while transmitting undivided instructions to more capable devices, optimizing communication efficiency based on performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If instructions are transmitted undivided to all terminal apparatuses, then transmission efficiency is improved, but low-performance terminal apparatuses cannot process the instructions
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal management apparatus divides instructions into multiple sub-instructions and transmits them separately to terminal apparatuses with low processing performance. This segmentation allows low-performance devices to handle smaller, manageable instruction units while maintaining system-wide productivity. The patent explicitly describes dividing a print job instruction into multiple sub-instructions and transmitting them to a printer with limited processing capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If instructions are divided and transmitted to terminal apparatuses, then compatibility with low-performance devices is improved, but transmission efficiency decreases due to multiple transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal management apparatus applies different transmission strategies to different terminal apparatuses based on their individual processing performances. High-performance devices receive undivided instructions for efficient processing, while low-performance devices receive divided sub-instructions. This localized adaptation optimizes both device compatibility and transmission efficiency simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If a unified management approach is used for all terminal apparatuses, then system simplicity is maintained, but performance optimization for diverse devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal management apparatus dynamically adjusts its instruction transmission strategy based on the processing performance of each terminal apparatus. The system automatically determines whether to transmit undivided or divided instructions by evaluating device capabilities, enabling performance optimization without requiring complex manual configuration or sacrificing system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program readable by a computer of a terminal management apparatus in a terminal management system where a first system transferring information between the terminal management apparatus and a first terminal apparatus via a relay apparatus and a second system transferring information between the terminal management apparatus and a second terminal apparatus without passing through the relay apparatus coexist, the program causing the terminal management apparatus to perform: when an instruction received from an external apparatus, determining a transmission destination; when the transmission destination is the second terminal apparatus, dividing the received instruction into a plurality of transmission units and transmitting an instruction included in each transmission unit to the second terminal apparatus; and when the transmission destination is the first terminal apparatus, transmitting the received instruction to the relay apparatus without being divided.